Università Roma Tre

The class will focus on historical and territorial structure of Rome and Roman Campagna, with particular emphasis on Medieval and early modern periods.
Some practical examples - related to the topographic study of settlements and characteristics of the territories such as hydrography and presence of wetlands, flora, road network, spread of religions – will outline the main sources and methods for historical knowledge of the territory.
We choose some research approaches that will lead us to examine reference literatures, published as well as unpublished works including official and historical cartography, administrative and cadastral documentation released by the Papal States, financial statements held by ecclesiastical institutions and big landowners, notarial deeds about rents, buying and selling, folktales and traditions.
We will study the close connection between Rome and its neighborhood by analyzing the ever-changing urban and agricultural landscapes in the long term, both within and outside the city walls.
In order to gain first-hand knowledge on the most important archive funds for historical territory research, we plan to have a guided tour to the Archivio di Stato di Roma (Corso Rinascimento, 40).
Students willing to study in depth either a specific settlement or a urban area can ask for support and reading materials. Such detailed studies, which can also be performed in small groups, may be part of the written exercise to be presented for the final exam.

Jean Coste, Il metodo regressivo, in Id., Scritti di topografia medievale. Problemi di metodo e ricerche sul Lazio, a cura di Cristina Carbonetti, Sandro Carocci, Susanna Passigli, Marco Vendittelli, Roma 1996, pp. 17-23 (fotocopia del saggio sarà distribuita in occasione del primo incontro).
Carlo Tosco, Il paesaggio storico. Le fonti e i metodi di ricerca tra medioevo ed età moderna, Roma-Bari 2009, capitoli I e II, pp. 3-96.
Mario Sanfilippo, Le tre città di Roma. Lo sviluppo urbano dalle origini a oggi, Roma-Bari 1993, pp. 5-138.
Sandro Carocci, Marco Vendittelli, L’origine della Campagna Romana. Casali, castelli e villaggi nel XII e XIII secolo, Roma 2004, pp. 11-40.
Un saggio a scelta, fra i seguenti: Luisa Migliorati, La storia antica, in Atlante storico-politico del Lazio, Roma-Bari 1996, pp. 5-25; Antonio Sennis, Un territorio da ricomporre: il Lazio tra i secoli IV e XIV, Ibid., pp. 29-62; Giovanni Pizzorusso, Una regione virtuale: il Lazio da Martino V a Pio VI, Ibid., pp. 65-87; Leonardo Musci, Il Lazio contemporaneo: regione definita, regione definibile, Ibid., pp. 127-166.